Booklet Format Google Docs: Mini Book Setup

Okay so I literally just set up like three booklet formats in Google Docs yesterday for a client who’s doing these mini prayer journals, and here’s what actually works without making you want to throw your laptop out the window.

The Basic Page Size Thing Everyone Gets Wrong

First thing – you gotta change your page size because the default Letter size is gonna make your booklet look ridiculous. Go to File > Page Setup and this is where people mess up. They think “oh I’ll just make it half of 8.5×11” but that’s not how booklets actually work when you’re printing them.

For a standard mini booklet that folds nicely, I usually do 5.5 x 8.5 inches. That’s literally just a regular letter page cut in half horizontally. But here’s the thing – if you’re planning to actually print and bind this thing, you need to think about whether it’s saddle-stitch (stapled in the middle) or perfect bound (glued spine like a real book).

Wait I forgot to mention – set your margins to like 0.5 inches on all sides minimum. Actually make the inside margin (the gutter) closer to 0.75 inches because that’s where the binding happens and you don’t want text disappearing into the fold. I learned this the hard way when I printed 50 copies of a recipe booklet and half the ingredients were unreadable.

Column Setup for That Professional Look

So here’s where it gets interesting. Most people don’t realize Google Docs can do columns, which is perfect for booklet layouts. Go to Format > Columns and pick two columns. This makes your content flow more like an actual book instead of looking like a weird narrow pamphlet.

But – and this is important – you need spacing between columns. Click “More options” in that columns menu and set the spacing to at least 0.3 inches. Otherwise your text looks cramped and amateur.

Oh and another thing, if you want different sections to have different column layouts (like maybe your intro is one column but the main content is two), you gotta use section breaks. Insert > Break > Section break. Then you can change the column settings for each section independently. My cat just knocked over my coffee while I was testing this yesterday and I had to redo an entire booklet setup, so maybe put your drinks far away from your workspace.

The Page Number Situation

Page numbers in booklets are weirdly tricky because you want them to appear in different corners depending on whether it’s a left or right page. Google Docs doesn’t have automatic left/right page numbering like Word does, which is super annoying.

What I do is insert page numbers at the bottom center (Insert > Page numbers > Bottom of page). It’s not perfect but it works. If you really need that professional left/right alternating thing, you’re honestly better off doing the layout in Docs but then exporting to PDF and using something like Adobe Acrobat or even Canva to finalize it.

Headers and Title Pages

For your title page, you want it separate from the rest of the content. Use that section break trick I mentioned. Make your title page its own section with no header/footer, then start your actual content on the next section.

To turn off headers on specific pages: double-click the header area, then check “Different first page” in the header options. This gives you a clean title page without any running headers or page numbers showing up.

I usually do titles in 24-36pt font depending on the booklet size. For body text in a 5.5 x 8.5 booklet, 10-11pt is readable. Don’t go smaller than 10pt unless you want angry emails from people over 40.

Images and Graphics Without Breaking Everything

This is gonna sound weird but Google Docs hates images in booklet formats. Like really hates them. The text wrapping options are limited and things move around randomly when you edit.

Best practice – use “Wrap text” for most images and size them to fit within one column if you’re using a two-column layout. For full-width images, you need to temporarily switch that section to one column, insert the image, then switch back to two columns after it.

Also set your images to a fixed size. Don’t just drag them to resize – right-click, select “Size & rotation” and enter exact dimensions. This keeps them from randomly changing size when you add text above or below them.

The Actual Printing Setup

Okay so funny story – I once printed 100 booklets without testing the print settings first and they came out with pages in completely wrong order. Here’s what you actually need to know.

Google Docs doesn’t have built-in booklet printing like Word does with that “book fold” option. So you have two choices:

Option 1: Print your pages as-is in the 5.5 x 8.5 format, then physically bind them. This works if you’re using a print shop or if you have a printer that handles custom paper sizes. Most home printers can do 5.5 x 8.5 if you set it up in the print dialog.

Option 2: Set up your document in 8.5 x 11, design it as spreads (two pages side by side), then fold the printed sheets in half. This is more complicated but gives you that traditional booklet feel.

For Option 2, you’d keep your page size at 8.5 x 11 but set up two-column layout and manually arrange your content so that when you fold the paper, pages are in the right order. Page 1 and the last page go on the same sheet, page 2 and second-to-last on another sheet, etc. It’s basically creating printer spreads manually.

Wait I forgot to mention margins again – if you’re doing Option 2, you need wider margins on the left and right because those become your top and bottom edges after folding. Make them at least 0.75 inches.

Fonts and Readability

Don’t use more than two fonts in a booklet. I usually do one for headings and one for body text. My go-to combinations:

• Montserrat for headings, Georgia for body
• Playfair Display for headings, Open Sans for body
• Oswald for headings, Merriweather for body

All of these are available in Google Docs’ font menu. For body text, stick with serif fonts (the ones with little feet on the letters) – they’re easier to read in print.

Line spacing matters too. Go to Format > Line spacing and set it to 1.15 or 1.5. Single spacing looks too cramped in booklet format. I usually do 1.15 for fiction or dense content, 1.5 for workbooks or journals where people might write notes.

Table of Contents Hack

If your booklet needs a table of contents, use heading styles (Heading 1, Heading 2, etc.) throughout your document. Then Insert > Table of contents. Google Docs will auto-generate it with page numbers.

The plain text version works better for booklets than the linked version because it looks cleaner in print. You can format it after inserting – change fonts, adjust spacing, whatever you need.

Exporting for Print

When you’re done, go to File > Download > PDF. This gives you the cleanest print-ready file. Don’t export as Word doc and then convert – you’ll lose formatting.

In the PDF export, there’s usually an option for page size – make sure it matches what you set in Page Setup. If you’re sending this to a professional printer, they might want specific PDF settings. Most print-on-demand services accept standard PDFs from Google Docs without issues though.

Oh and another thing – always print a test copy at home first if possible, even if it’s just on regular paper. You’ll catch layout issues that you can’t see on screen. I’ve saved myself so many headaches by doing cheap test prints before ordering 500 copies.

Templates to Save Time

Once you get one booklet format set up the way you like it, save it as a template. File > Make a copy, delete all the actual content but keep the formatting, margins, columns, etc. Name it something like “Booklet Template 5.5×8.5” and keep it in a templates folder.

Next time you need to make a booklet, just make a copy of your template and fill in new content. Saves like 20 minutes of setup every single time.

For different booklet sizes, I have templates for:

• 5.5 x 8.5 (digest size)
• 6 x 9 (standard trade book)
• 8 x 10 (workbook size)
• 4.25 x 5.5 (mini pocket booklet)

That last one is great for affirmation cards or tiny poetry collections. Super popular on Etsy right now.

Common Problems I Keep Running Into

Text flowing weird between columns: Usually means you have a hard return or page break in a weird spot. Show your formatting marks (View > Show non-printing characters) and delete extra breaks.

Images moving when you add text: Lock your images by setting them to a fixed position. Right-click image > Image options > Text wrapping > Fix position on page. This stops them from floating around.

Headers showing up on title page: Use that “Different first page” option in header settings. Or make your title page a separate section with no header/footer.

Page numbers starting at wrong number: Click Insert > Page numbers > More options, and you can set the starting number. Useful if your booklet starts at page 3 or whatever.

Print margins getting cut off: Your printer has a minimum margin it can’t print beyond – usually about 0.25 inches. Make sure your Google Docs margins are bigger than your printer’s minimum.

The TV show I was watching last night (was it Severance? can’t remember) got me thinking about how booklet layouts are kinda like… never mind that’s not relevant.

Bleeds for Professional Printing

If you’re sending this to a real print shop, they might ask for bleeds. That’s when images or backgrounds extend past the trim line so there’s no white edge after cutting. Google Docs doesn’t really handle bleeds well.

What I do – design in Google Docs, export to PDF, then upload to Canva and add 0.125-inch bleed there. Or just tell the print shop you don’t have bleeds and accept a tiny white border. Most readers don’t notice or care.

For Amazon KDP or similar print-on-demand, they have specific templates and margin requirements. Download their templates and match your Google Docs setup to those specs. KDP usually wants 0.5-inch margins minimum, sometimes more depending on page count.

Okay I think that covers the main stuff. You’re gonna run into weird issues that I didn’t mention because Google Docs is quirky, but these basics will get you like 90% of the way there. Just remember to save versions as you go (File > Version history) so you can roll back if something breaks completely.